Sussex railway upgrade plan: Signalling upgrades to affect trains in London this half-term

Rail passengers in South London asked by Network Rail to ‘plan ahead and check before they travel’ as it brings an upgraded signalling system online over seven days.

"Upgrade work will mean that no trains will run on parts of the National Rail and London Overground networks for seven days starting on Saturday (October 26) and finishing on Friday (November 1) – half-term week,” a Network Rail spokesperson said.

“The works are part of our Sussex railway upgrade plan to modernise the railway network to improve passenger journeys across Network Rail’s Sussex region.

“Between 2024 to 2029, Network Rail is investing £900m as part of the Sussex Railway Upgrades to modernise track, signalling, stations, structures and earthworks.”

The upgrades taking place between Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye are part of a £400 million programme of investment in track and signalling upgrades that Network Rail is delivering in South London.

The spokesperson added: “A previous phase of signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 saw signalling related delays cut by more than half. Network Rail hopes the current phase of upgrades will deliver similar benefits for passengers.

“During the closure, from Saturday to Friday, Thameslink passengers travelling between Herne Hill, Wimbledon and Sutton are being advised to use London Buses or alternative National Rail, London Trams or London Underground routes.

"On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no Southern services between Balham and London Bridge; London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Palace); or London Bridge and Streatham.

“There will also be no trains between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction. Replacement buses will only run between London Bridge and Streatham Common, via Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill. For all other routes, paper tickets will be accepted on local London Buses.”

Network Rail said no trains will run between London Bridge and Streatham nor London Bridge and Beckenham Junction from Monday to Friday.

“Trains which usually run between London Bridge and London Victoria, and between London Victoria and West Croydon (via Crystal Place), will only run between London Victoria and Streatham Hill,” Network Rail advised.

"Additional trains will run between London Bridge and Sutton via West Croydon.

“Replacement buses will only run between London Bridge and Streatham Common, via Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill. Paper tickets will be accepted on London Buses for all other routes.”

London Overground services between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction will be replaced by buses ‘throughout the seven-day closure’.

In addition, London Overground trains between Sydenham and Crystal Palace are also suspended from Saturday to Tuesday ‘to allow the improvement works to take place’.

Network Rail added: “If you are travelling to and from Crystal Palace on Saturday to Tuesday, you should use local buses via any reasonable route.

“From Saturday to Tuesday, there will be an amended service on routes between Highbury & Islington and West Croydon and New Cross.

"From Wednesday to Friday, some Crystal Palace and New Cross services will be re-timed. Please plan ahead and check before travel.”

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said it is ‘vital’ that the company continues to invest to ‘modernise our assets and give passengers the delay free journeys they expect’.

She added: “Signalling upgrades between East Croydon and London Victoria in 2022 saw delays cut by more than half and we are expecting this phase of signalling upgrades in the Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye areas to deliver a similarly impressive reduction in delays when it comes into use.

“We know the work means days of major changes to journeys for passengers and we are sorry for the disruption. Please plan ahead, look out for further updates and follow travel advice.”

Jenny Saunders, customer services director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “While this major investment in modern signalling is inevitably disruptive, earlier phases of Network Rail’s programme have already brought huge punctuality improvements for our customers on other South London routes. We thank passengers in advance for their patience and understanding while the work is under way.”

There will also be some weekend closures in the same area before and after the October half-term closure, Network Rail said.

"These are needed to allow engineers to get the new signalling system ready and then to remove redundant equipment that is no longer required,” a spokesperson explained.

"Signalling control of the Crystal Palace, Peckham Rye and Tulse Hill areas will move from the Victoria Area Signalling Centre to the state-of-the-art Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre [in Crawley] from November.

“The switch-on of the new signalling is the culmination of three years of work. Network Rail have installed 65 new signals, new signal gantries, two new power supply points and hundreds of kilometres of signalling, telecoms and power supply cables.”